THE LATE FIRE IN CHAPELSTREET.—INQUEST.

New Zealand Herald, Volume VIII, Issue 2467, 21 December 1871, Page 3

THE LATE FIRE IN CHAPELSTREET.—INQUEST.

Ak inquest on the late fire in Chapel-Blreet was held yesterday afternoon at 2 o'clock before T. M. Philson, Esq., M.D., Coroner! and a respectable jury. Mr. Jones (Royal Insurance Company), and Mr. Miller (Victoria Insurance Company), were present. Mr. Joy attended on behalf of the Insurance Companies, and Mr. Thome on behalf of Mr. Eawkeswood. After viewing the scone of the disaster, the following evidence was taken : John Hawkeswood, owner of the foundry in Chapel-street, stated that he remembered the fire in Chapel-9treet on the night of the 11th instant. He hud beem engaged on that afternoon casting columns and tramway wheels. He superintended tho work, and was present when the fires were raked out and the furnace cooled down. He locked the doors at twenty minutes past seven. The castings were made in tho shop on the side next Mr. Maxwell's premises. That portion of the premises where the fire is supposed to have broken out abuts on Mr. Maxwell's premises. No metal had run over the moulds. I was the last person to Jeave the premises. I was in company with Mr. Anderson, who saw water poured on the hot ashes. The roof of his premises had been ignited about eighteen months ago, but had been put out almost immediately. The cause of that fire was sparks from the furnace.— The casting was being carried on in the north side of the shop. A portion of my premises abuts immediately on Mr. Maxwell's property, where the fire was supposed by me to have broken out. Mr. Maxwell's pigstye was built against the woodwork of my shop. The woodwork of the shop on. tho north side waa wood studs 4 x 3, 16 feet high, and covered by no other boards. The nearest moulds (iron boxes) were two feet from the woodwork. 1 was also easting some iron columns for the New Zealand lii9ui'auiia Company. These were eight feet and a half from the wooden walls. The columns were cast iu wooden boxes, and the wheels in iron boxes, It is usual to use iron for boxes. Iron would bo tlie safest. Under no circumstances could the woodwork of the boxes be ignited bj the metal. On this occasion no metal ran from the leap over tho side of the boxes. Tho furnace was extinguished by the men. The engine fire was raked out. I saw it raked out and water put oyer it, about half-past 6. I was the last to leave the place with Anderson and Lepine. I took the usual care I am iu the habit of taking on thtiso occasions. We cast tho columns with a crane ladle, and the wheels by a hand ladle. Tho crane in its movement would swing about seven feet from the wall, at its nearest point. The fitters left at five o'clock. The casting was carried on till half-past six. Thoro was only one furnace employed. It is impossible that any lire could get from the furnace to the walls. lam quite at a loss as to how the lire occurred. Xam certain it did not take its rise from the inside of my place at all. "When the fires are raked out, they are raked on to the floor, and water is at once thrown on them. When the furnace is tapped, numbers of metallic sparks fly off, but they never burn anything. They would not pain you if they fell on your face.—Mr. Anderson, foreman to Mr. Hawkeswood, gave evidence in corroboration of that given by Mr. Hawkeswood.— James Blood stated that when-he saw the fire no Jone was about. The greater part of the fire was outside the foundry, but some was inside. The fire appeared to have originated outside the fouudry.—John Henderson deposed that he saw the fire from his back room about a quarter past ten o*clock. The fire appeared in that part of Hawkeswood's fouudry adjoining Maxwell's piggery. He believed the fire originated in the foundry. —Jane Maxwell, wile of John Maxwell, butcher, deposed that she saw the fire from her room upstairs. The fire appeared to have originated in the fouudry behind tho piggery. —John Neill, butcher, was in Chapel-street the night of the fire. He believed the fire to have originated in the foundry in rear of Air. Maxwell's piggery.—The evidence of subsequent witnesses was merely corroborative of tho above.—The jury retired to consider their verdict, when, after a lengthened deliberation, they found, •* That the evidence did not disclose whether the fire originated in the foundry or in the stable adjoining." The following rider was appended: —"That the jury disapprove of slightly-constructed buildings being used for foundry purposes when Lhey are situated in tlie midst of a dense population."